Design for sustainability: a potential model for the promotion of organic cotton consumption in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigates the production, consumption and regulation within the South African Organic Cotton Project (SAOCP). It argues that the implementation of design strategies has the potential to promote the consumption of organic cotton clothing products in South Africa. This is necessary because of growing global concerns about environmental and social issues, such as global warming, environmental degradation and pressurised working condition. These point to a need for fundamental change of our industries to sustain future generations. In the fashion and textiles industry, cotton production specifically is among the most environmentally damaging. Organic cotton production serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional production, and has increasingly been included by brands and organisations in the United States and several European countries. However, in South Africa, organic cotton production and consumption remains in a formative stage. Though sustainable consumer intentions are there, they do not manifest in the consumers‟ buying behaviour. This study wants an attempt to promote the consumption of organic cotton apparel products by South African consumers through suggesting a more interconnected, transparent value chain providing a collaborative learning and teaching experience. The literature extensively reviews the cotton fibre industry and notion of fashion and design in connection to the sustainability debate. Further, it presents innovative design projects encouraging sustainable consumer lifestyles, indicating the necessity of a holistic and re-connective strategy to promote such behaviour. A qualitative multi-method research approach is employed – including a consumer survey, an in-context immersion, focus groups and interviews with key informants. These (mainly) participatory research methods aim to include participants in the design process as co-designers. Activity Theory is utilised as an analytical lens in this study to examine the dynamics of a number of actors in the SAOCP who share the objective of promoting organic cotton consumption in South Africa. Consequently, the Design for Sustainability model guides the adaptable design strategies that are relevant and sustainable within South Africa, and possibly also internationally in similar industrial contexts. This research study concludes that promotion of organic cotton consumption can be achieved through stakeholder re-connection in the organic cotton value chain, and the development of a humanised and transparent system. Ultimately, the strategies attempt to contribute to an increased well-being among actors through a deeper level of understanding of one‟s role in the SAOCP system.